Question pondered: Could GRAPH EXPO 98 be a “Show of Shows,” when the international spectacles that were IPEX 98 and PRINT 97 captured the printing industry’s collective practically within the same 12-month span, with IPEX in September and PRINT 97 the previous September?

Does $108 million answer that?

That’s the figure Heidelberg reported it registered during the show’s four-day tour of Chicago’s McCormick Place recently. Heidelberg’s success was not singular. Scores of the show’s more than 550 exhibitors reported GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO was a money maker.

MAN Roland, for example, announced a total dollar volume of orders in the $70 million range. For Komori America, the recently concluded show was a blowout—its best show ever in North or South America, according to Komori officials. WAM!NET officials termed the exhibition spectacular. Kodak Polychrome Graphics executives reported incredible traffic throughout the event and Sony Electronics representatives spoke of a “tremendous response” by show-goers. Muller Martini revealed that it exceeded its sales expectations by 50 percent the first day of the show.

“We had incredible traffic every day,” says Howard Lippin, manager of marketing communications, U.S. and Canada, for Kodak Polychrome Graphics. “The quality of visitors was excellent. It was a great show, no question about it.”

Harry McMillan, executive vice president at Komori America, praised the educated prospects who flocked to the Komori exhibit.

“We had record sales the first two days, and came out of the show with a blowout,” McMillan states. “We saw team buying, as well as people coming in groups with a program of what they were going to see.”